SA Footy

I read that Brett Lee is currently working hard in the gym on the way back from injury (squatting up to 200kgs) in an effort to get bigger and stronger. He's also vowed to have the cherry in his hand to bowl the first delivery for Australia in the upcoming Ashes series!

Lee also reckons he can bowl even quicker.
He reason's that sprinters don't peak until they are 34-35 and that fast bowlers use the same fast-twitch muscle fibres that a sprinter does. I'd tend to agree with that.
If you stay fit and train properly there should be no reason why as a fast bowler you can't maintain your pace well into your 30's.

I think that injury free he's still Australia's number one spearhead.

westozfalcon wrote:I think that injury free he's still Australia's number one spearhead.

I agree. I hope he is fit and firing by the time the Ashes come round.

His days as our number one are well and truly gone IMO.

I think he is good enough to get back into the side but he will find it hard especially given his very poor record in England. With Johnson in excellent form, Clark due back from injury, Siddles emergence and then competition from Hilfenhaus and Bollinger, how hard is lee going to find it to get a permanent spot? Especially if the selectors want to play an all rounder and or spinner.

Brett Lee deserves the chance to open the bowling for the Ashes.
He'll definately be in the squad at the very least.

Brett is a very good bowler but has always lacked the ability to take control of a dull situation.

And become a match winner when something is needed by the superstars of Ozz Cricket.

Glen McGrath... Dennis Lillee...

excuse the spelling guys...

I do agree with the point about bowling speed, but Lee would probably be the first quick to achieve the feat wouldn't he?

FD88 wrote:I do agree with the point about bowling speed, but Lee would probably be the first quick to achieve the feat wouldn't he?

Yes. But then again not many fast bowlers would have adopted the same sort of training philosophy in their 30's that Lee has.

It will be very, very hard for Brett Lee to get back that quickly. The potency of the guys there at the moment is fantastic, and the balance is pretty much right I think, especially given there is no obvious spin cantidate to demand a place. And I also think Brett Lee was a little average. It was pointed out the next highest wicket-taker in cricket history to have an inferior "best bowling" is Flintoff. He was fast early and was too fast for some tail enders and has played a heck of a lot since. But he has always struggled to get top class batsmen out. The best aren't worried by pace too much, and sadly Lee hasn't got another string to his bow. I think Stuart Clark might take a place in the side when he recovers though.

But having said that I also would like to say I'm thrilled he wants his place back. he should absolutely be fired up to earn it back, and bowling the first ball of the ashes is as good a goal as anything. I might question his ability to earn a spot back or to get good batsmen out regularly but I'd never question his effort. He probably ranks as one of the hardest working cricketers ever and always gave every ounce of effort in everything he ever did on the park. To run in and bowl full throttle with a stress fracture in the foot is gutsy stuff.

And on the point about sprinters he is right, but the problem is he isn't a sprinter. He might be using the same fast twitch fibers but it's a very different ball game. Where a sprinter just runs in a straight line (or a bit of a curve if it's a longer sprint) a bowler has to jump and hurl a ball over his head. A sprinter would never have the back, elbow, shoulder and leg troubles a bowler would get. Sadly for Brett I think while his idea might give him hope (and more power to him) the main reason a bowler slows down isn't because he can't run in as fast, but because he can't propel the ball with the same ferocity.

Brett Lee is finished, there is no room for him. You have Johnsone, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, McDonald at the minute Stuart Clarke when he comes back (you would take him above breet lee just on his wicket taking ability and his econony. McDonald would miss out for him(maybe). All Aussies need is a spinner and i cant see lee bowling spin.

If lee was to be playing for australia again he would wanna prove himself again in shefield shield by getting good bags of wickets otherwise he should give up